10 Players to Watch in Dolphins' "Spring Game"

Team will have controlled scrimmage today as minicamp ends

DAVIE – The Dolphins will play their “Spring Game” at 10 a.m. today as they conclude their three-day minicamp, and a few players will be eyed closely because their performances are key to the season's success, or their emergence could be key to the season's success.

The “Spring Game,” as coach Joe Philbin calls it, isn’t open to the public, players won’t be wearing pads, and it’ll be more of a controlled scrimmage that looks at specific situations rather than a real game.

Still, Philbin said his team will “really kind of play some football, put the ball down, kind of split the team up in half and see what we expect to be some great competitiveness. (There will be) a lot of teaching going on in those game-like situations.”

This is the final practice session before the team breaks and gathers again for training camp in late July.

So with the offseason program coming to an end, we present “10 Players to Watch” in today’s "Spring Game":

1) QB Ryan Tannehill: With no contact we won’t find out much about his pocket presence, but we’ll get a glimpse into his decision-making, grasp of the offense, accuracy, and overall leadership skills. He’s been good so far.

2) DE Dion Jordan: We’ll see how the 2013 first-round pick is used (third downs, Speed package, etc…) and whether he’s learned to use his roughly 10 pounds of additional muscle. He needs to show he can be an impact player this year.

3) RB Knowshon Moreno: He’s had very limited action with the first team. And he should be an obvious upgrade over Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas. It makes you wonder if Moreno is healthy. The whole thing is a head-scratcher.

4) RT Ja’Wuan James: The first-round pick needs to show overall awareness and an ability to keep pass rushers away from Tannehill. He's a big key to overall OL success.

5) WR Mike Wallace: It’d be nice to see a deep completion from Tannehill, but we don’t know if those two will be paired. Still, it’d be a nice to see Wallace get a deep completion from any QB.

6) CB Jamar Taylor: The 2013 second-round pick seems to be improving, but we’ll see today. Taylor needs to show basic coverage ability as well as some playmaking skills.

7) LG Dallas Thomas: We’ll see if Thomas, who had a rough rookie season, knows what he’s doing in run blocking and on blitz pickups. He can’t appear lost.

8) WR Rishard Matthews: It’s a deep and talented field at WR among Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Jarvis Landry and Armon Binns, primarily. A roster spot will be tough. There’s also Marcus Thigpen, Damian Williams, Matt Hazel and a few others. Everyone will look to shine today.

9) SLB Jelani Jenkins: Jenkins, a core special teams player who has been praised for his intelligence, is making a push for playing time from scrimmage. We’ll see if he’s able to make an impact somehow.

10) TE Dion Sims: He needs to play faster and show he can be a factor. Starting TE Charles Clay is money, but there’s not much behind him and the Dolphins need someone. Sims and TE Michael Egnew need to watch out for rookies Arthur Lynch and Gator Hoskins.